Corporate governance: exploration of research trends from bibliometric analysis

Gouvernance d'entreprise: exploration des tendances de la recherche à partir d'une analyse bibliométrique

Abstract

Conceptions of good corporate governance have changed over time, even definitions vary considerably and it is not possible to claim that there is a single definition that specifically describes the concept of corporate governance. The aim of this paper is to analyse the evolution of the scientific production on corporate governance, to identify the main publication trends and to suggest future research for those interested in the topic. For this purpose, a bibliometric performance analysis and scientific mapping, as well as a factor analysis and a cluster analysis were carried out. A total of 501 articles were identified for the period 1973-2022 and 958 authors. The results show that changes in corporate governance research are significant, in the initial period from 1973 to 2000, financial reporting and decision making show a higher relevance in corporate governance research, while managerial accountability and governance show a higher degree of development. In the most current period (2006 to 2022), corporate governance research is more developed, as this is the period when the most articles are written and the most cited texts appear; during this period, corporate governance studies analysed from the perspective of social responsibility lose relevance and corporate social responsibility gains strength.